Book excerpt: Mary Elizabeth's life is spiraling out of control. Her twin sister was killed in an automobile accident. Her bereaved brother-in-law has decided now is a good time to renew their college romance, and her healthy, domineering mother is demanding she move home and slave, ah, make that care for her. What's a woman to do? Get the heck out of Dodge! She jumps on the promotion offered by her best friend, Kiesha Morgan, and moves to Refuge, NC. The last thing she wants or needs is a man. She's got enough going on in her life. Hugh Mosely, owner of Refuge's only eating establishment, as a favor to Alex Wolfe, good friend and alpha of the Raven Pack, agrees to rent the empty apartment above his diner to Mary Elizabeth and keep an eye on her. Hugh's also a bear-shifter actively searching for a mate, a she-bear he can breed with and continue his nearly extinct species. Despite his nearly overwhelming, explosive attraction to Mary Elizabeth, he has no interest in human females. Unfortunately (or is that fortunately?) for them, the true mate bond doesn't care about personal agendas. Watch as they both get caught up in the mating fever and try to fight their way out.